by Kai Bird
First published 2079
Kai Bird challenges the conventional view of Jimmy Carter as a failed president. Bird argues that Carter was not simply an outsider but an outlier who brought unique qualities to the White House. Carter grew up in the Deep South and openly practiced born-again Christianity. He combined humility and candor with strong self-confidence that Washington rejected. Carter diagnosed America's problems after Watergate and Vietnam and called for national self-examination that voters refused to accept. His moral approach to governance cost him reelection and enabled Reagan's rise. Bird traces Carter's domestic policies and foreign policy decisions while showing his battles with political establishments and hostile media. The book reveals how contemporary issues like healthcare, inequality, racism, and Middle East conflicts dominated Carter's agenda. Bird uses interviews with Carter and his staff plus declassified documents to reassess this presidency. He demonstrates that Carter's legacy has been misunderstood and provides a new perspective on his administration's actual record versus public memory.
Genres: history, 20th-century, political-science, biography-memoir, 21st-century, american-history
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: outsider-protagonist, reassessment-of-legacy
Setting: Deep South, Washington
Period: Watergate, Vietnam War
800 pages · Audio CD · Random House Audio